Oil-wick carrier.



W. L. BLISS.

OIL WICK CARRIER.

Patented July 3,1917.

mm II. I

Kw N o N APPLICATION FILED MAY 2| 1910.

LSLQQD nnrTnn sTaTns TaTnnT WILLIAM L. BLISS, OF IVIILVAUKEE, IUISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO U. S. LIGHT c HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, .A CORPORA- IION 0F NEW YORK.

OIL-WICK CARRIER.

Application filed May 2, 1910.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. BLISS, a .citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in OileVick Carriers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a lubricating device, and particularly to that class in which oil is supplied to a shaft and its bearing by means of a wick.

The object of the invention is to provide lubricating means which will prove effective and efficient under the most trying conditions of actual practice. By way of furtherance of the main object, the invention aims to provide means whereby a wick, which normally dips into an oil well and supplies lubricating fluid to a rotating shaft, may be readily withdrawn and inspected, and whereby the supply of oil is completely inclosed and protected against dust and other foreign matter, while at the same time it is accessible for renewal and cleansing purposes. The above features are particularly desirable in connection with the bearings of generators used in car lighting systems and which generators are usually mounted on the trucks of cars.

Although the invention may be embodied in a number of forms, the one which I have developed in practice and which constitutes a simple and practical embodiment of the idea, is shown in the accompanying drawings in which,-

Figure l is a longitudinal section of the improved bearing on line 1 1, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of Fig. 1.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred form-as adapted particularly to the shaftJ and bearing of a car lighting generator, although capable of general application. The plate or member 1 is adapted to be bolted to the frame of a generator and contains a bearing 2 and shaft 3, adapted to rok tate therein and is provided also with a long vertical chamber 4, having an enlarged portion 5, adapted to receive the bearing 2. A lower extension 6 constitutes the oil well. The bearing 2 has a cut away portion Y, thus Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented July 3, 191'?.

serial No. 559,014.

exposing the upper part of the shaft 8, as seen particularly in Fig. 1.

A frame-work or strip 8, which may be of sheet metal, having considerable resilience, or of other suitable material, is shown in the drawings as being of general U-shape, and wide enough to slip easily into and out of the vertical chamber t. The lower ends 9 of the U-shaped member 8, are bent toward each other and are adapted to rest on the base of the oil well 6. rJhe upper part of the U-shaped member is preferably provided with a bent down portion 10 to cooperate with the locking stud and eye-bolt hereafter described.

A wick 11 is illustrated as consisting of three superimposed layers having their ends secured to the bent in portions 9 of the U- shaped member by means of any suitable fasteners, as shown at 12. Of course, I do not limit myself to the three layer wick, as a single wick or any number of layers may be used, as desired.

As seen particularly in'Fig. l, the lower ends of thewick are submerged in the oil in the well 6 and held down by strips 8, hence the wick, by drawing up the oil through capillary action in the well known manner, applies it to the upper half of the rotating shaft at the cut away portion. whe-re said shaft is in contact with the wick, the oil being thus distributed along the shaft and throughout the bearing.

rl`he upper end of the chamber is closed by a cap 13, and gasket 14, thus providing a tight connection. A locking bolt 15, having screw-threaded engagement with one of the walls of the chamber. passes also through the other wall of said chamber and is adapted to engage an eye-bolt 16. adjustably secured to the cover. It will be readily seen that after the cover is in place, the locking bolt may be slipped through the eye of the eyebolt` which latter may then be drawn up slightly by tightening the nut thereon, or by other suitable means, whereupon thef cover will be firmlv clamped place.

The eye of the bolt 1G is'in engagement with the bent down portion 10 of the U- shaped member, thus preventing the removal of said member except when the cap and locking bolt are removed.

The plug 17 may be provided for a screwthreaded opening in the base of the oil well for the purpose of facilitating thc draining of the oil well and cleansing thereof. Screw-threaded openings 1S are also shown, which may be used in connection with a piping system, or which may be closed by plugs, such as 19, or by a plug 19 at one side, and an elbow7 20 at the other side, said elbow being provided with a plug 19. The elbow is used in filling the oil reservoir.

The openings 21 and 22 may be closed by any suitable means. Ordinarily the end of the armature on shaft 3 is close enough to opening 2l to act as an effective closure. It is apparent that the oil well may be tightly sealed by the various means described, thus keeping the oil clean and free from impurities. This is particularly necessary where the generator is mounted in a position where it is exposed to excessive dirt and dust, as for example, on the truck of a car when used in connection with train lighting'. The arrangement of parts described enables the wick to be readily removed and inspected, and enables the oil well to be readily cleaned and refilled.

The various features described above and shown on the drawings are selected for the purpose of illustration only, and not in a limiting sense, as it is obvious that any one of a number of embodiments within `the scope of the appended claims may be used to carry out t-he broad idea.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

l. The combination with a bearing and shaft, of an oil reservoir below said shaft, a wick resting on said shaft and having its ends in the oil reservoir, whereby oil is drawn up and supplied to said shaft and bearing, and a removable frame-work to which the ends of said wick are secured, whereby said wick may be lifted from said shaft.

2. A bearing member having a chamber with an enlarged portion, a bearing in said portion, a shaft adapted to rotate in the bearing, said bearing having a cut away portion whereby part of said shaft is exposed, an oil well communicating with said chamber, a wick resting on the exposed part of said shaft and having its ends dipping into said well, a resilient strip slidably supported in said chamber, and resting on the bottom of said oil well, the ends of said wick being secured' to said strip, whereby the wick is removed upon removal of said strip, positive engaging means for securing said strip in said chamber, and a cover for said chamber. l

3. In a bearing member, a chamber havframe in said chamber, a wick consisting of a plurality of superimposed layers, having its ends secured to the ends of the U-shaped frame, a bearing and a shaft in said chamber, said shaft having an exposed portion adapted to contact with part of said wick, whereby oil is supplied to said shaft by said wick.

4. A lubricating device, comprising a member adapted to rotate, an oil reservoir into which said member extends, an oil wick wiping against said member during rotation, said wick having an end portion dipping into oil and anchoring means attached to said end portion for resisting' the frictional pull of said rotating member on said wick, said anchoring means and wick being removable together from said oil without separating said reservoir and said rotatable member.

5. A lubricating device, comprising a member adapted to rotate, an oil wick hanging from said member and adapted to wipe against the same during rotation, said wick having its depending ends dipping into oil, and restraining means associated with said ends for resisting the frictional pull of said member when rotating in either direction, said restraining' means being removable and adapted to carry with it said wick.

6. In combination, a rotatable shaft, a bearing therefor, said bearing having a out away'portion, an oil conveyerresting in the cui-J awayportion in said bearing in contact" witlr isaid shaft and an anchoring means attached to said conveyer on each side of said'shaft, said anchoring means straddling said shaft and serving to draw said conveyer downward against the shaft.

7. A lubricating device comprising a member adapted to rotate, an oil wick wiping against said member during rotation, said wick having a portion dipping into oil, and means adaptedto Apositively anchor said portion without interfering with the capillary attraction of said wick.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two wit- I'IQSSGS.

WILLIAM L. l BLISS. Witnesses Gmo. B. JONES, F. I-I. I-IUBBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.l

. Washington, D. 0. 

